The Tasmanian Greens today renewed calls for state and federal Labor to abandon its support for a disastrous proposal to water down national environmental regulation.

Greens Environment spokesperson Cassy O’Connor MP said the Prime Minister’s decision yesterday (Nov 30) to defer plans to cede environmental regulation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to state governments was only a temporary reprieve.

“The Prime Minister has acknowledged it would create a legal mess to hand responsibility for World Heritage Areas over to the states, and the next logical step is to abandon the idea completely,” Ms O’Connor said.

“This decision at least buys some time for the Tasmanian community to register its concerns over this proposal, which is designed to weaken the already inadequate laws protecting habitat for our threatened species.”

“It’s disappointing that some in the media have willingly adopted the expression ‘green tape’ which was cooked up by industry spin doctors as a profit-driven attack on environmental protections.”

“We are facing an era of unprecedented environmental destruction and biodiversity collapse, which is why environmental standards need to be strengthened not watered down.”

“Environmental regulation is there to make sure we protect biodiversity, and what’s needed is a Federal Government that’s prepared to stand up to these attacks from big business.”